The class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon is known in the art. An early disclosure of the production of such materials is by Nozaki, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412. More recently this class of polymers, now becoming known as polyketones or polyketone polymers, has become of greater interest in part because of the greater availability of the polymers. The more recent processes for the production of such polymers typically involve the use of a catalyst composition formed from a compound of a Group VIII metal selected from palladium, cobalt or nickel, the anion of a strong non-hydrohalogenic acid and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus, arsenic or antimony. These processes are illustrated by van Brockhoven et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,843,144 and 4,880,903.
The resulting linear alternating polymers are relatively high molecular weight materials having established utility as premium thermoplastics. The polyketone polymers are processed by methods conventional for thermoplastics such as extrusion, injection molding and thermoforming into a variety of shaped articles such as containers for food and drink and parts and housings for automotive applications. For some particular applications, however, it has been found desirable to have properties which are somewhat different from those of the polyketone polymer. It would be of advantage to retain the more desirable properties of the polyketone polymers and yet improve other properties, for example, mechanical properties such as tensile strength.
One proposal for obtaining polyketone polymers of greater tensile strength is through the use of an internal reinforcement. A copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 289,157, filed Dec. 28, 1988, discloses the production of reinforced polyketone polymers wherein the reinforcement is glass fiber. The success of using glass fibers as reinforcement depends in part upon the compatibility of the glass and the polymer. A copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 579,433, filed Sep. 6, 1990, describes producing reinforced polyketone polymers of improved properties by employing a glass fiber coated with a particular sizing agent incorporating aminosilane and urethane functionalities. It would be of advantage to provide additional means of obtaining glass fiber reinforced polyketone polymers of improved mechanical properties such as tensile strength.